Go Back asylum doco causes worldwide stir

22 Jun 2011, 11:45 am   -   Source: SBS
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Raye Colby previously said she hated asylum seekers in Inverbrackie so much 'she could shoot them'. (SBS)

Raye Colby previously said she hated asylum seekers in Inverbrackie so much 'she could shoot them'. (SBS)

SBS reality TV show Go Back To Where You Came From has caused a worldwide stir, trending in first spot on Twitter and gaining mention in the New York Times.

RELATED

A cross between a documentary and reality TV, in which SBS sent six Aussies on the same harrowing journeys faced by asylum seekers, has caused a worldwide stir.

Go Back To Where You Came From, part one, screened on SBS One at 8:30PM on June 21, with two parts to follow on June 22 and 23. It was watched by 524,000 viewers, the networks' highest ratings for the year so far.

In it, six ordinary Aussies - among them self-confessed racists - were stripped of their mobile phones and wallets, and sent on rickety boats to Iraq, Kenya, Malaysia and other refugee centres.

TWITTER STORM

After an initial flood of hundreds of tweets urging anyone who wasn't watching the show to change the channel, reactions began.

"Okay, I'm watching 'Go Back' now. Already shocked, dismayed and horrified," tweeted a  poster called @fickwalker.

"I was a bit gobsmacked at how little several of these people knew about any of it," posted Denis Wright.

In addition, an online simulation gave web users the chance to test themselves in situations based on real asylum seeker stories.

During the show, the hashtag #GoBackSBS became the number one trending topic on Twitter worldwide, and remained the number one topic in Australia until midnight - hours after it ended.

The thread was still active at the time this article was written, 15 hours after the show, with dozens of new entries every 10 minutes.

The debate spread beyond the issue of asylum seekers, with ABC blogger Matt Granfield criticising the vitriol aimed by many tweeters at one participant who openly said she 'didn't like blacks'.

"A few thousand, probably even 10,000, Twitter users around the country decided the most appropriate reaction to the SBS documentary was to pass judgement on this girl for daring to be so judgemental," he wrote.

"What hypocrites we are," he added.

INTERNATIONAL COVERAGE

The New York Times published a detailed article on the series and the wider asylum debate in Australia, and it was published on the front page of its subsidiary, the International Herald Tribune and the Korean International Herald.

The discussion thread on the series website was flooded with more than 1,000 comments - around 20 times the usual number of posts for an equivalent programme on the network, noted SBS's newly-appointed Managing Director, Michael Ebeid.

One poster, billing him or herself as a former employee of the Onshore Protection Unit in the Department of Immigration, rebuked Australians for their lack of knowledge of the situations faced by asylum seekers.

"You think what you have seen on TV tonight was bad? You have seen nothing yet. When they are facing death or worse, seeing their families being tortured, sometimes the only option for them is the illegal way, rather than sit there and wait for UN to approve their humanitarian status. Most of the time they have no choice," the post said.

"Thank you SBS for trying to bring some information to this debate. However, other than on this show, the media neglects its responsibility to present information to the public to allow them to make up their own minds," wrote a Brisbane poster.

For Matthew, of Perth, the show raised more questions than it answered.

"This is a challenging and needed programme. Yes - we do have moral obligation. But how much moral obligation? Maybe the rest of the series will answer that better for me. We cannot take everyone who decides to leave misery," he wrote.

The attention continued the following day.

"Love that is still topping the Aus Twitter trends the following morning. Brilliant show. Yes I cried & yelled," tweeted Narelle Cornelius.
 
'NOT PREACHING'

In a pre-series interview with SBS World News Australia, commissioning editor Peter Newman said the show did not aim to preach to its participants.

"No matter what side of the debate you fall on ... you're going to be challenged," he said.

Go Back To Where You Came From, Episode I is available for online viewing here, and parts II and III will be aired on Wednesday and Thursday at 8:30PM Eastern Time on SBS One.

For facts and figures on refugees and asylum seekers, visit WNA Online's special feature for Refugee Week.

Go Back To Where You Came From , #gobacksbs , Asylum Seekers , Refugees

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Asylum-seeker infotainment commercial

Patrick - from Melbourne, 3 months ago

this show as never intended as a genuine information show on the asylum-seeker issue, or else it would have contained some attempt at balance. It was little more than a bleeding heart propaganda effort designed to stereotype all critics of mass refugee intake as Cronulla riot beer t-shirt bogans "xenophobes", and was always a stunt for the schoolies by the asylum-seeker do-gooder industry. BTW, most Australians not even born in Australia are among the most anti on asylum-seekers.

Mr

Jeff - from Tweed Heads, 2 years ago

Who's paying for the boat trips? Misplaced short term compassion may mean long term sorrow. Recent history is showing that asylum seekers are in reality; welfare seekers or worse, traders in medievil ignorance which is a total anathema to the universal human conciousness.

faulty education

ernie - from geelong, 2 years ago

Jenny, you poor misguided fool. You should think about the cost of deficits in your uncomplete education before making public statements. From your comment its clear that you know very little of Islam.

Only one hope left.

Trent. - from Blue Mts, NSW, 2 years ago

Seems to me the only chance left for this country and it's future is to get Pauline Hanson into the PM's chair by any means at our disposal and as quickly as possible.

Have a heart

Lindel mg - from Nambour, 2 years ago

Every Australian, especially our politicians, should watch this documentary. Who said political decisions shouldn't be made on emotion? Making decisions based on compassion beats making decisions based on potential votes catering for vocal people with a narrow world view. We are incredibly lucky to be born in Australia but we are all citizens of the world. Our vast country is big enough to share. Have a heart.

MR

John - from Sydney, 2 years ago

Think about it, we all come from somewhere, what makes you to judge when other people coming here by boat or by plane? Have some humanity.

This was an Absolutely Amazing & Real Testament to Opening our Eyes to the World and Human Suffering in it!!

Chris - from Sydney, 2 years ago

Lets all remember "politicians promote & feed us all lies & scare tactics via tv on every issue to win votes ONLY! We are pushed & pulled for political points only!FEAR of refugees is promoted by both sides. We’re taught Refugees are like a disease if they make it to our shores, keep them offshore (in timor, Malaysia or naru) as "that is the only answer!" not #1 assist in helping the homelands of refugees get rid of their war-mongers & dictators with UN force and greater powers and also asis!

Collateral Damage

John - from Perth, 2 years ago

As a small child in Shanghai I spent time listening to the conversations of white Russian refugees with my father. Driven by Stalin's purges some travelled across China during WW2. Watching this program brought back memories. Time for serious discussions and commitment by this nation to peace keeping not wars. Time for serious efforts to reduce the causes of DP's. Sure carefully check arrivals, be they boat people visa over stayers 30,000/y. In 50 years, they will pay good taxes.

From an ill informed' YOBO ' .

Trent. - from Blue Mts, NSW, 2 years ago

Noel, "Redneck Yobo " I may well be and proud of it ! also just in case you have'nt already worked it out, I am also 110% against the establishment of Islam in this country. It is not , and never will be compatible with our way of life and will forever be a source of trouble for the future if allowed to infiltrate and grow. If Australia needs to take in refugees, they could readily be sourced from many more deserving ' non Islamic' countries around the world .

Ernie -

Jenny - from Perth, 2 years ago

To say that Islam is a violent religion is just wrong! At least educate yourself about what Islam is about before going to such conclusions! I'm not a Muslim myself but at least I've had education at school in Religion classes on what Islam is really about, and trust me - they're anything but violent. The terrorists you are on about are EXTREMISTS. They are only a select of fundamentalists - trust me, there are a lot of extremists in every religion. It's the media playing tricks on you again.

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